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Hajime ate his sandwich, the chatter of the building fading into white noise as he became lost in thought. Suddenly, a loud slam brought him back to reality. A burning pair of green olive eyes were staring daggers into his soul.Shit.What were they even talking about? Fashion? Exams? Celebrities?Who cares?Should he care?Hajime couldn’t say for sure.“Ugh! Why do I even put up with you?” Natsumi Kuzuryuu screeched in his face.If it was anyone else, they would probably cower away or beg for mercy. But Hajime knew better. They had known each other since freshman orientation. Even though it was an event to help the new students get along, Natsumi apparently made it her mission to scorch the earth she walked on the moment she arrived at Subaseka university.She gave a verbal lashing to everyone she came across and glared at anyone who talked behind her back. Soon enough, everyone who wasn’t pissed off at her was too scared to even acknowledge her. Hajime’s first impression of her wasn’t the best, but he admired her courage. She had the guts to stand out and make sure everyone in the room would know who she was.Hajime, on the other hand, was just another forgettable face in the background. His life mainly consisted of studying and working part-time jobs. He didn’t care to follow celebrity gossip or trends. He just lived his simple normal life like any other person in the world.He didn’t even think Natsumi would remember him until they found out they shared a lot of classes. Since no one else was willing to work with her, they got paired up in group projects and bonded over their frustrations. Hajime admired her charisma and confidence, while Natsumi appreciated having a friend who was brave enough to tell it to her straight.So, something like this was normal to Hajime now. The two of them had a staredown, neither of them yielding to the other. Hajime never broke contact as he finished his sandwich. Eventually, Natsumi yielded. She huffed and crossed her arms, “Listen, you dick! I’m spending my time on your sorry ass, so the least you can do is pay attention. You’re the one bitching about wanting to be different, so at least try to pick something.”Natsumi gestured to the fashion magazines laying on the table in front of him. That was when Hajime remembered what they were talking about. He felt a little embarrassed for spacing out when she was doing her best to help him.He quickly glanced over the covers and felt a weight on him pushing him further into himself. Those models posed with such confidence as they modeled the trendy outfits on them. How could someone make a white t-shirt with ripped jeans look like the coolest thing on the market?He tried imagining himself with the exact same outfit and cringed. He’d look like a disheveled shut-in who needed a social life.Half of the other clothes would be too embarrassing to actually wear or were out of his budget. In fact, Hajime was certain he already saw someone on campus wearing one of these outfits. “I’ll just look like everyone else who decided to copy from these magazines.” Hajime said as he looked away from Natsumi and the models on the covers. It felt like they were mocking him with how charismatic they were. “Well, nothing’s gonna change if you keep moping like this.”It might have been Hajime’s imagination but Natsumi’s words sounded softer now. But, Hajime just wanted to stop thinking about it. His eyes roamed around the large eatery they were in. Most of the tables were filled with people grabbing a quick bite before their next class. However, one table stood out because it was only occupied by one person.A white-haired boy with a frame that reminded Hajime of death. The black leather jacket he was wearing only makes his skin look paler. He was like a specter, alone in a corner as if no one could even see him.However, despite always being alone, everyone in this school knew about Komaeda. Whispers between periods talked about how he said the most confusing and frustrating things. Girls would stay away because of how uncomfortable he made them feel. Guys kept saying how pointless it was to fight him since he always laughed in the face of misery and pain.That being said, this was the first time Hajime actually saw Komaeda in the flesh. “Yeah, maybe I should do something about it.” Hajime muttered, unable to take his eyes off that enigmatic boy.Natsumi followed Hajime’s gaze before turning back to him with a sharp hiss, “Komaeda? I thought you wanted to stand out, not be a fucking weirdo.”“I’m just gonna talk to the guy.”With that, Hajime stood up from his seat. The loud squeak from the chair’s sudden movements drew the attention of countless eyes in the room. Hajime felt their eyes on him but he did his best to ease his drumming heart. That jolt of anxious adrenaline got him in front of Komaeda’s barren table.“Mind if I sit here?”Komaeda looked up from his book, seemingly unaware of the attention on them right now. He smiled and said, “Of course. Most people tend to go elsewhere. It makes sense, no one would want to risk associating themselves with someone like me.”Yeah. Weird and confusing. Komaeda was just like what the rumors said.“Ok…” Hajime warily sat down on the table. He quickly noticed that people had stopped paying attention to them. He pushed the thought away and focused on making a good impression, “My name is Hinata Hajime.”“Nice to meet you, Hinata-kun. I’m Komaeda Nagito.” Komaeda introduced himself without putting the book down. In fact, his eyes went back to reading it the moment introductions were over.Was this guy serious?A few minutes of painstaking silence answered that question. Hajime decided to take the initiative, “What’re you reading about?”“Oh, nothing special, just a book about urban legends.”Hajime knew Komaeda was unusual. After all, rumors about him that circulated him weren’t always kind. But, Hajime wasn’t expecting an answer like that. Komaeda said it in such a carefree way like it wasn’t a big deal at all.“Really? You believe that stuff?”Komaeda let out a thoughtful hum, “Well, I don’t think half of these legends are true. Otherwise, we’d see ghosts everywhere we looked. But I do believe there is a natural order to the world.”“A natural order? Like the strong devour the weak or something like that?”An airy laugh came from his thin lips as Komaeda finally put the book down, “You have a pretty cutthroat viewpoint, Hinata-kun.”“H-Hang on! I didn’t say that was my viewpoint!” Hajime quickly argued, pink blotches appearing on his tan cheeks. “I was just asking since you’re the one who mentioned it.”“Fair enough. After all, what right does someone like me have to question your beliefs?”Komaeda’s response pretty much shut down the conversation. However, unlike before, he didn’t pick up his book again. Instead, his full attention was now on Hajime. Hajime fought the urge to squirm under his gaze.Hajime rarely had someone who was so interested in him. He was so ordinary that anything he said wouldn’t add to a conversation, nor did he have any special niche to show off. Even Natsumi was fed up with him and his complaining, he was actually surprised she didn’t follow through on her many threats.“So… are there any urban legends in there you like?”Komaeda opened the book and lazily flipped through the pages, “Most of these are more like ghost stories than actual legends, though my personal favorite is about the Curse of the Colonel.”“Colonel? Was he some big shot from a war?”“Nope, it’s about a life-size statue of Colonel Sanders. Ever wondered why Hanshin Tigers had such bad luck?”The answer was so absurd that Hajime started laughing in disbelief. It likely drew some attention but he didn’t care. Hajime didn’t know what was weirder, the fact that people believed that a statue for a fried chicken brand could curse a baseball team or that Komaeda actually liked something like that. He didn’t even know such a thing existed.How would one respond after being told something like that?Before Hajime could come up with an answer, a soft beeping melody came from Komaeda and stopped Hajime’s laughter. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and turned the alarm off.“My class will be starting soon. Hinata-kun is so very kind to spend time with a worthless worm like me. I apologize for rudely cutting our conversation short.”Komaeda cleared the table he was using and stood up. Hajime also felt that the perpetual smile he noticed on Komaeda’s face looked a little sadder now.“It’s fine, we can always talk again later.”Hajime’s words got Komaeda to perk up. His eyes widened ever so slightly. Was Komaeda that surprised?“If that’s what Hinata-kun wants, I’ll happily oblige.” Nagito chuckled airily before asking, “Could you lend me your phone?”The whiplash left Hajime speechless as he passed his phone to Komaeda. After Komaeda handed his phone back, he walked away until he finally disappeared from Hajime’s view.Hajime looked at the number displayed on his phone. How did this happen? Was this really a good idea? The conversation was a whirlwind of emotions that he couldn’t keep up with, but Hajiime never felt so excited.Maybe this was exactly what he was looking for.“I still can’t believe you’re doing this.”Hajime fought the urge to sigh at those words. How many times had he heard Natsumi say that after he first told her about this?He turned away from the other passengers on the train before responding, “You told me to do something about it, and this is me taking action.”“There’s standing out and committing social suicide.” There was a pause from the other side. Hajime wondered if the connection was lost before she asked, “You sure this is a good idea?”The question was asked so quietly that Hajime almost didn’t hear it over the rumbling of the train. No matter how her words may sound, they always carried her truest intentions.“You’re overthinking it. If this doesn’t work out, we just don’t talk to each other again. Not like we spoke much anyways.”Although Hajime said that with an air of indifference, his heart twinged a little at the thought of not talking to Nagito again. Ever since they exchanged phone numbers, there were brief greetings in the halls and random texts throughout the week. Sometimes, one of them would ask a question that would turn into an hour-long conversation about something else entirely.Hajime couldn’t explain it, but talking with Nagito was so comforting.“Your funeral, then.”Natsumi’s words still lingered in his mind as he got off the train. Nagito had asked him to meet him in Shibuya this evening, and Hajime was intrigued to see what Nagito had in mind. Once he made it to the surface and faced the noise of the city, he pulled out his phone.Just as he was about to text Nagito, he spotted the green jacket and white hair standing out in the crowd. Nagito must have noticed him as well and met him halfway, “Hinata-kun, you made it.”“Well, yeah. I said I would.”“Hinata-kun is too kind.” Nagito’s smile felt like there was more beneath it, but Hajime decided now was not the time to pry.“So, what are we doing here?”“A friend of mine suggested something we could do.” Komaeda said as he and Hajime walked away from the station.“Something that needed a driver’s license?” Hajime asked with a raised brow.Nagito said nothing more about his surprise, changing to another topic. How their classes were going, how the rain had been a nuisance when running between buildings, and how the professors seemed to be relentless with their assignments. Nagito proposed that the professors were conspiring with each other to have their coursework align as closely as possible.Nagito played it off as a joke but Hajime wondered how true it was since he had 4 assignments due in the coming 2 weeks.Eventually, they came across a storefront with go-karts parked on the side of the road. There were people dressed up in costumes inside the store, making Hajime feel weirdly underdressed. He awkwardly tugged the sleeves on his hoodie and followed Nagito to the counter.“What is this place?”“Nanami-san told me about this, we get to dress up as Mario characters and drive around Shibuya. It sounded interesting, so I wanted to surprise you with it.”Well… this wasn’t what he expected when Nagito asked him to meet up in Shibuya at night. Hajime was expecting something… weirder?Like a cafe with yokai statues all over the place, or a mystic wishing pond. Something that wasn’t this.“Hinata-kun, do you not like it?” Nagito muttered as he wrapped his arms around himself, “Ah, I should’ve known better than to be so presumptuous. Driving at night in the middle of the city isn’t very fun. Our first date, and I am already ruined-”“Woah, calm down.” Hajime quickly shook his head and hands, trying to get through to him, “I never said I didn’t like it. We came all the way to Shibuya for this, so we might as well try it out.”The smile on Nagito’s face made it a little easier when he walked over to the costume rack and accepted the costume bag Nagito was holding.That warm feeling went away immediately when he saw the orange dress inside of it.Hajime walked out of the dressing room with a scowl, while Nagito was obviously holding back his laughter. Why did he have to be Daisy when Nagito got a Luigi costume?!“You look good in orange, Hinata-kun.”“Did you book this?”“Costumes can’t be booked ahead of time, Hinata-kun. I just picked two off the rack that matched our sizes.”Hajime didn’t fully believe him but there was no point in making a scene when all the other drivers were in costume too. After the kart instructor gave them instructions about the go-kart and the route they’d be taking, they each hopped into their own karts and drove off into the night.For the first time in a long time, Hajime was entranced by the nightlife around him. In a world where everyone was competing to outshine the other, he never really took the time to actually look around at the people he competed with.The glowing lights from the giant screens and signs, the chatter of people on the sidewalk, and the sound of traffic whizzing alongside the karts.Hajime felt grounded in a way he didn’t remember feeling before.Nagito’s kart drove up next to his, and the city lights made Nagito shine like nothing Hajime had seen before. The lights gave Nagito’s pale skin a glow of color. His fluffy hair looked ethereal as strands of it fluttered with the passing sights. His eyes had a sense of wonder in them as he took in everything around him.He turned to Hajime and smiled.Even in that ridiculous green costume, Hajime was charmed.Eventually, they made it back to the starting point. Hajime got out of the kart with a new perspective of the city. He only came to Shibuya when Natsumi dragged him along on her shopping binges, so he never really thought much of it until now.He had Nagito to thank for that.Hajime quickly took the costume off in the dressing room and placed it back into the bag it came in. Nagito was waiting for him with his Luigi costume in hand, “Did you enjoy it?”“More than I thought, actually.”"Hinata-kun’s expectations were already so low, I see. I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you.” The smile on Nagito’s face as he said that made Hajime’s heartache and Hajime was ready to argue against that.“Are you kidding me? If anything, I’m surprised you’re not disappointed by me.”“Hinata-kun could never disappoint me.” Nagito’s sudden declaration surprised him into silence. Hajime saw the sincerity in his expression and heard no hesitation in those words.Were those Nagito’s true feelings?As they left the building, Hajime glanced at where the train station was. However…He wasn’t ready for this to end yet.Instead, he turned towards Nagito, “Come on, a date isn’t over until we have dinner. How are you feeling?”Nagito’s shoulders slumped a little as he answered, “A little peckish.”Was Nagito worried Hajime would leave? Maybe Nagito didn’t want this to end yet either.With a burst of confidence, Hajime took Nagito’s hand and started walking, “How about some ramen? I know a good place.”Nagito’s eyes brightened as he let Hajime lead the way. He felt Nagito intertwining their fingers together, embracing the warmth from their hands. To anyone else, they were another couple on the bustling streets of Shibuya. But to Hajime, no one else existed at this moment but him and the boy who he grew to care so much about.Hajime usually felt like another face in the crowd, just another ordinary person that would never stand out. But tonight he realized it didn’t bother him at all. Not once did he feel that pressure on his chest or the anxiety gnawing away at his sanity. Nagito snapped Hajime out of his dull boring world and gave him a taste of what he had neglected. How did Hajime miss so much? And Nagito… Hajime had already seen enough to know the rumors didn’t show the real Komaeda Nagito. The real Nagito was earnest, spontaneous, and very optimistic. How many more layers would Hajime uncover as they spent more time together?With Nagito, Hajime felt special. Nagito looked at him like he was worth admiring, like he was more than enough. Hajime supposed that he was fine being who he was. After all, he finally felt seen by someone who mattered to him.